VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A man was killed after he was hit by an SUV while trying to cross a busy Virginia Beach street, police said.
The accident happened around 7:42 p.m. Monday in the 5800 block of Northampton Boulevard.
Police say that based on a preliminary investigation, a Toyota SUV was traveling southbound when it hit 56-year-old Aubrey Dion Parker as he was trying to cross the travel lanes. Investigators said Parker was not in an intersection or crosswalk.
Parker was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the SUV stayed at the scene and police said there are no pending charges for the driver.
The accident remains under investigation by the VBPD Traffic Safety Unit.
The deadly crash caused some concerns for people who live and work on Northampton Boulevard.
“From what I hear from my regulars, coworkers, and stuff it’s a very dangerous crosswalk," said Ashley Bodine, who works on Northampton Boulevard.
Bodine said she knows people who cross the street all the time.
“We have a few coworkers who ride their bikes to and from work and we have a coworker whose son works across the street sometimes he rides it with his mom and walks across the street. He has to be super cautious because it’s almost 40-45 but people treat it like a race track sometimes they don’t slow down and watch out for pedestrians, bikers, anybody," said Bodine.
Bodine said a crosswalk is needed.
“I don’t understand why. People cross everywhere, why would this be a certain area that people shouldn’t cross at. I mean there’s business across the street, there’s housing down that way. people got to get to where they live and work," said Bodine.
The City of Virginia Beach Public Works officials said they sent in a work order for improvements earlier this month. The work includes installing a crosswalk across Northampton Boulevard and Burton Station Road as well as a pole with a push-button signal with handicap ramps.
Virginia Beach Public Works officials said construction for the crosswalk should begin on October 4th and is expected to be complete in 90 to 120 days.